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So I got to see some friends of mine last night that I haven’t seen in months and they told me all about how their daughter has a ‘fairy door’. It’s a door you give your kid to attach to places that a ‘fairy’ comes to live in and be their sorta friend. It got me thinking about small things though and this artist I’d found recently.

Based in Spain, Marina Paredes of Prettymodels makes adorable tiny house slices. The detail that goes into these is just wonderful. I could easily see a fairy deciding to live in one. 😉

Though my goodness I can only imagine the tools used. My hand cramps thinking about it. D: Her work is just lovely though and is made in 2 different styles, mini house and mini doll house style. The doll house ones may be my favorites, but I had one as a kid so I’m likely biased, lol. Either way, I recommend giving her etsy store a look to see all the lovely tiny creations she’s put together. ^_^

While standard analog clocks seem to be slowly disappearing in favor of their digital counterparts, I for one still love having analog clocks in my house. There’s just a visual appeal to them that digital designs don’t do for it yet, and Woodentek has certainly got their visual appeal down.

Made from expertly cut and design wooden layers, Woodentek has some of the most beautiful wooden clock designs I’ve ever seen. Located in Spain, this company has a commitment to designing not just fandom clocks for the easy money, but a wide range of designs spanning historic recreations to astronomy signs. Their wood is from well managed forests, meaning they don’t just buy cheap lumber to make a buck. Their wood comes from land that grows and replants trees to crate a sustainable resource and is certified by the FSC and PEFC.

If you’re in the market for a reasonably priced change in your decor, or just want an art piece that can also tell the time, you should definitely give Woodentek your consideration.

Japanese artist Seiji Kawasaki creates food sculptures from wood that are so realistic, you’ll think you can actually eat them.

I chose that image specifically because if I picked a finished one, I know it wouldn’t be believed. I mean look at those potato chips!! It’s insane how good these look. Using just a small block of wood, Kawasaki is able to create any edible item in just a few hours. Some of which he then uses as chopstick holders.

He’s exhibited his work in several galleries around Japan, but that can be a costly ticket just to see them up close, so if you’d like to see more of the incredible sculptures he’s done you can take a gander at this Facebook gallery instead. I swear, with like 99% of them, I’d never have known they weren’t food if I just saw them on their own. It’s definitely worth your time.

Ever heard the Snow White fairy tale and gone, “Wish I had a mirror that would tell me stuff.” Well one guy decided to make his own.

The base version he designed is simply a monitor with a mostly black background behind a double sided mirror so it can display simple things like the time, weather and an uplifting message. 🙂 It’s still incredibly cool and actually not too hard to put together if you’re comfortable with woodworking and electronics. The guy, Dylan Pierce, has a step by step guide online so you can make your own including the source code you’ll need to program your magic mirror with! If you still feel overwhelmed during the process he also setup a handy forum where you can ask more knowledgeable people about the process for help. 🙂 One post is even entitled a step by step for dummies for can’t make it work. Maybe not the nicest but as someone who only knows a bit about code, that’s the type of stuff I know I’d need, lol.

Here’s your base shopping list if you want to know the commitment/cost of the project:

A monitor

A double sided acryllic mirror fit to the size of the monitor

A few 2 x 4’s to build a case around the monitor

Thin wood to build the forward facing mirror frame

A raspberry pi and it’s needed components, i.e. the power supply, HDMI cord, wifi usb dongle, and a keyboard for initial setup

Basic woodworking tools like a saw, sander, screwdriver

Screws, liquid nails

Hoping I can get my husband to work with me on this one as I can see it being a fun joint project. 😀

Another month, another holiday and this month we get to honor the male role models in our life. 🙂 Since not all of them want power tools (like the TV ads would have you believe) I’ve gathered up a collection of some great DIY gifts that range from customization to from scratch creation to help inspire any last minute gift ideas you might need.

First we have a customization one that’s pretty simple. With just a wood hanger, a drill and some cup hooks; you can make a simple space saving belt hanger! Depending on how tool ready you are the only thing you may need to buy are the hooks themselves.

Keeping with the clothing theme, here’s a simple one for all you sewers out there. Make that tie you get him a little more personal this year by embroidering his initial on it! Even if you don’t have an embroidery machine you can still create one with a simple stencil, a needle, thread, and an embroidery hoop. Might take some time if you pick a fancy font to do it in though so budget your time wisely the next few days.

Date with Dad

Okay, here’s one you need no instructions for that will work great if you have a close relationship with your Dad. Make a card asking to go on a ‘date’ with him and include the tickets/vouchers inside. Really simple and can mean a lot more as you’re setting aside time just to spend with him and create new memories. Can also work great for younger kids as well if the other parent helps set everything up.

While this could work for people other then you dad as well, this nifty little gift could certainly see a lot of use come winter time. I know I would love to stop piling the wood up in my arms when I try to carry it inside (All the while hoping nothing crawls out and decides to come say hi…. >.< ) Another very simple gift that won’t break the bank with the only required materials being some canvas, flannel and wooden dowel rods.

This one is for all you wood workers out there! Put those skills to work and make your Dad a custom 6-pack tote this year. I love the addition of the bottle opener on the side, and you’ll likely score bonus points if you fill it with some of your Dad’s favorite drinks. 😉

Lastly, if you have a sibling looking to compliment you awesome Drink Tote, why not suggest they make Dad some custom coasters? This crafty creator found round electrical outlet covers at the hardware store to use that keep your coaster weighted without having to use stones/tiles. All you need are those, some glue, modge podge, and prints of whatever you’d like to place on them. 🙂